


Danger Gold

by nobetterpicture



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pacific Rim Fusion, Character Death, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:44:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5697229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nobetterpicture/pseuds/nobetterpicture
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Oishi returns to the Shatterdome after six months to pilot a new Jaeger with a new partner, Kikumaru Eiji. If...only Kikumaru would actually agree to being partners.</p><p>Or, in other words, Golden Pair Pacific Rim AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Danger Gold

**Author's Note:**

> BIG NOTE/WARNING/ATTENTION: neither of the Golden Pair die, just saying that now, BUT THERE IS A DECENTLY BIG CHARACTER DEATH so please be aware of that. 
> 
> This monster was written for the Sports Winter Anime Games 2016, also known as SWAG 2016, for the prompt:
> 
> "Golden Pair PacRim AU. /prayer hands emoji"
> 
> Considering this prompt haunted me for a good month (the working title for my googledoc was "FUCKING GOLDEN PAIR PACRIM AU I CANNOT BELIEVE") and that, while editing, I just added about an extra 1000 words to the original fill I made (https://referees.dreamwidth.org/3776.html?thread=458432#cmt458432), AND that this is really my first *~*official*~* Golden Pair and TeniPuri fic...we're gonna need all the prayer hands emoji that we can get. 
> 
> If anything, I just hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I wrote it. I'm sorry, in advance, and I love the Golden Pair a lot, I swear.

It takes Inui six months to approach him.

Oishi knows that they found him long before, probably only a week after he’d just up and left, but he appreciates they waited this long. He can look them all in the eyes again, at least.

“It’s finally time, huh?” is the only thing he says when he opens the door on a dull Sunday and sees Inui on the other side.

“Yeah.” Inui holds out a heavy envelope, full of briefings he’d missed, Oishi’s sure. But he holds up his hand to stop and instead goes to grab the bag he’s had packed for the past five months.

“You can tell me on the way.”

-

The Shatterdome hasn’t changed much.

Since the last time he’s been here, there’s only been one single Kaiju attack and the Americans took care of it. There’s no real reason for it to have changed much comestically, there is still one glaring change that Oishi notices the moment all of his other friends line up to greet him. The empty spot is still there.

“Oishi!” Momoshiro looks the same as ever, maybe a little buffer than Oishi remembers, but just as energetic as the weapons specialist was six months ago. “It’s great to see you again. We’ve missed you around here.”

The hug is warm, a feeling that Oishi hasn’t felt in a while, and when he pulls back, the rest of the group is smiling at him. And suddenly, the gap is gone. Their smiles are a little too knowing and his eyes begin to burn.

“It’s good to be back...I guess.”

-

They give him his old room. The bed is still too hard but the window remains to have the best view of Mount Fuji, so he can’t really complain. Besides, most of this things are still here, too.

His old novels are dusty on his desk, along with the bowling ball he left. He spends his first night cleaning up everything and it’s only slightly annoying that they didn’t clean it for him. Between the books, he finds a stack of pictures and he stops to look through them.

He can’t recall exact dates, but most of them are from Oishi’s trainee days, years ago. He almost smiles at a younger Momoshiro and Kaidoh, stuck in a freeze frame from the Kwoon Room with him watching over them. The memory of Fuji telling them they would be drift compatible even though they weren’t interested in being pilots has him almost laughing to himself. For not wanting to be pilots, the two of them had stole time in the Kwoon Room way too much.

The rest of the pictures seem to be just him caught in embarrassing poses or questionable facial expressions, all taken by Fuji of course. Oishi flips to the last picture and he almost drops it.

It’s a nice picture, from their graduation, one he remembers having been framed on his desk before. He’s smiling so widely, the man standing next to him, and Oishi’s glad that it’s captured in this piece of paper. It’s been so long since he’s seen his face. Maybe too long...or maybe not long enough.

The pictures slide too easily between the pages of an old Jaeger manuel and Oishi goes to sleep.

He dreams, as always, of a warm hand on his shoulder and flames.

-

“So, what’s their name?”

Oishi’s stretching in the Kwoon Room as Fuji takes notes. It’s a place that feels more like home than the tiny apartment he slept in for six months. The briefing Inui told him yesterday was more vague than Oishi wanted and he knows he’s here for a reason. They need him to pilot again. That much is obvious and that's exactly what Inui said. The _why_ is the part that’s missing. But apparently that is "data that he didn't need to know just yet." Typical Inui.

“Well, it’s good to see you’re astute as ever, Oishi.” Fuji closes his notebook and gives him a smile. Oishi’s fear of that smile hasn’t changed. “He should be here any moment.”

Almost on cue, both of the doors open with a bang. The psych analyst part of Fuji is also still as terrifying as he remembered. Though in a way, it's good to know that Fuji hasn't changed, not like him. A redhead walks in yawning, easily twirling a long staff between his fingers. The movement looks lazy, especially since the ranger’s eyes are closed, but Oishi can see the clear control in his fingers.

“Fuuuuji, is this new supposed ‘perfect’ partner here ye-” One eye opens and the twirling stops. The other eye follows and Oishi watches as his pupils dilate. His mouth presses into a thin line and before Oishi can say 'hello' or anything, out comes an-

“Oh.”

Oh.

 _Oh_? Oishi isn’t much for being strict, but he was...He _is_...His rank deserves much more than an unimpressed _Oh_.

“Ah, Eiji, right on time.” Fuji walks over to Eiji, patting him on the shoulder. “Eiji, meet the Ranger who might finally help you become a pilot, the famous Oishi Shuuichirou.”

The famous comment feels like a stab to the heart, but then again, only six months ago, that’s exactly who he was. Who they both were. He sighs and stands up, slightly distressed to see that Eiji is just a bit taller than him. As if it isn't bad enough that this would-be ranger is already mentally looking down at him.

“I look forward to working with you, Eiji.” Oishi holds out a hand and Eiji stares down at it, then stares down at him.

“It’s Kikumaru. Kikumaru Eiji.” The pole starts twirling again. Oishi can feel the rush of air as the pole moves faster. “Also, I don’t work with failures.”

And just as he entered the room, _Kikumaru_ leaves and Oishi simply stands there, hand still in the air.

“My, my…I didn’t expect that one.” There’s laughter in Fuji’s voice. Oishi doesn’t feel bad when he dead legs him.

-

“He called me a failure. A failure! And Fuji laughed!!!”

“I didn’t see that one coming, interesting…” Inui pulls out his notebook and Oishi wants to scream.

Did they not tell Kikumaru that they would be testing the two of them out? Sure, Oishi didn't know about Kikumaru until an hour ago but he only arrived yesterday! It makes sense that he didn't know!! It's _logical_ that he didn't know! But Kikumaru?? Also, he’s never met someone so dismissive, so rude!! Oishi barely says one thing, and one kind thing at that for everything at sake, and Kikumaru walks out. Incredible.

And between Inui and Fuji’s reactions, it seems that he’s nothing but a joke. What a warm welcome back.

“Oishi...you’re not a joke.” Inui puts down his notebook. “The joke is Eiji. He’s this semester’s top candidate for becoming a Jaeger pilot. There’s no one else but him. Also he’s your-” He laughs. “Kikumaru Eiji is a very kind person. Trust me when I say that this rejection is very interesting.”

The small explanation and continued laughter does nothing much to ease Oishi’s aggravation.

“Eiji is two years younger than you and only joined us after-” Inui pauses and fixes his glasses. “Well. Right before you left on your...hiatus. There’s no way that he doesn’t know about you and, really, there should be no one that wouldn’t want to pilot with you. You can drift with anyone, afterall. That's a gift that any potential pilot would love to have in a partner.”

“Right, that 'special ability'.” It’s thanks to that ability that the two of them were even partners in the first place, no matter what was said back then...and now here it is. Again. The only reason why he’s here.

A call comes for Inui and Oishi knows this conversation is over.

“Look, go talk to Kawamura if Fuji isn’t helping. He’s the one that’s trained Eiji, so he should know more.” Inui steps toward him, hand raised to pat his shoulder, but then quickly drops it at the last second.

“The two of you will become partners, that’s an order.”

-

“Oishi!! Long time no see!” Kawamura Takashi greets him with a hug even tighter and warmer than Momoshiro’s and it certainly lifts his spirits. He’s actually missed Kawamura. “I heard rumors you were back, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.”

The both of them were roommates and graduated from the Jaeger Academy together. Oishi became a pilot, Kawamura didn’t. Instead of giving up, he stayed with the academy to help train other hopeful pilots as a Kwoon Fightmaster, which is why the Kwoon Room is where Oishi finds him.

“It’s great to see you again, Kawamura.” He notices all the trainees staring at the two of them, recognition sparking in their eyes. Kawamura throws them an order to stretch instead of staring and Oishi feels a little bit of pride. At least _they_ know him. “I hope I’m not bothering you, but I was hoping that you might tell me a bit about one of your students, Kikumaru Eiji.”

“Eiji? Not much to say besides he’s very flexible and quick. He’ll have you on your ass if you lose focus for one second.” Kawamura replies, crossing his arms. “What does Eiji have to do with you though?”

“We’re supposed to pilot a Jaeger together.”

The room gasps and Oishi winces. He hopes it wasn’t supposed to be a secret, Fuji did mention that graduation hadn’t happened yet. But then again, Inui deserves a bit of chaos after pulling rank like that.

When Oishi looks at Kawamura again, he’s a little surprised to see him frowning.

“They had to bring you in so he could have a partner...I didn’t think it would come to that, honestly.” He shakes his head and then smiles again at Oishi. “Oh well, that’s not my authority, so I don’t have a say in it. Besides, you’re back! That’s what matters! And since you’re here…”

Kawamura grabs a long pole off the wall and throws it _hard_ at Oishi. The sting on his palm certainly bring back memories.

“I’m a bit out of shape,” Oishi admits, but it’s so natural to go right into his old favorite form. “You might beat me this time.”

“Oh ho ho, still confident as ever, _Shuuichirou_.” Kawamura taunts, easily giving his students a show as he crouches with his own long pole in one hand. “BRING IT ON!”

-

They end in a very strong tie, just like the old days. Oishi helps Kawamura off the floor, and he almost feels something like a smile on his face. There’s applause from the students watching and when he looks at them, Kikumaru’s among them.

He’s staring at him behind all the other students, but the moment Oishi catches his eyes, Kikumaru turns and walks away.

“Hmm...Interesting.” Kawamura hums, handing over a towel.

“That seems to be everyone’s reaction.” Oishi takes the towel and heads for the showers.

-

When he gets back to his room, there’s something very different.

Kikumaru Eiji is in his room. Kikumaru Eiji is in his room and looking through one of his old books. Kikumaru Eiji is in his room, looking through one of his old books, and there is now a bunk bed where his bed used to be.

“What.”

“Marshal Inui’s orders. Fuji said it would be a good idea too...not that we can actually say no to it.” Kikumaru says, muttering the last part. He flips a page. “I already claimed the top bunk and that part of the room, so you can keep your desk and the bottom bunk.”

“Wait. Wait a second.” This is literally his second night back. This is a little much. This is A Lot much.

Kikumaru ignores him.

“You’re supposed to shadow my training tomorrow and then we’re wanted in the Kwoon Room. Though after today, I’m going to beat you very easily.” He snaps the book shut and finally looks up at Oishi. “If I had a choice, I wouldn’t pilot with you. Even if you can magically drift with anyone, I’d rather pilot alone.”

That does it. It takes three steps and Oishi’s hand is in clenching Kikumaru’s collar.

“What the HELL is your problem with me? You came here to be a pilot right?” Kikumaru says nothing but stares defiantly up at Oishi. His hand grips tighter.

“You came here to fight the Kaiju, huh? To save the world and become some untouchable star, right? Did you think you could do that ALONE?” That seems to hit a cord because Kikumaru’s mouth presses into a fine line, just like their first meeting, and Oishi knows he should stop, knows he should let go and take a breath, to relax. He knows that they are going to have to work together no matter what, thanks to Inui, but this brat hasn’t even given him a chance. And for no good or bad or ANY reason.

Why are so many people not telling him things? Why are they all so vague?? He's been back less than 48 hours and everyone has been...careful. They shouldn't be _careful_. He’s not some kind of precious glass vase, it’s been six months, he’s had time alone, he’s- He’s living again.

“Did you think you could honestly come here and pilot a Jaeger by yourself?” He can feel Kikumaru start to shake under his hand, but that doesn't stop him either. “Do you even know the risks of piloting a Jaeger alone? Do you know what can happen? WELL?”

“YES I DO!” Kikumaru stands up and drops the book, pictures spilling out from center. He grips Oishi’s own shirt and pulls them nose to nose.

“I do...Everyone does. The entire COUNTRY KNOWS! They know because Tezuka Kunimitsu DIED doing it for you.”

Oishi’s hand drops and he looks down. Tezuka smiles at him from one of the pictures scattered on the floor.

He takes a deep breath, looks up, and punches Kikumaru right across the face.

-

Inui finds them in the medical ward, on separate beds as their cuts and bruises are tended to.

“Honestly...I did not see this coming at all. And quite frankly, I’m disappointed.” He looks at both of them, but Oishi is ashamed enough to look away. His black eye and fractured nose are reasons enough to feel ashamed. Kikumaru’s missing tooth and bruised jaw make him feel even worse.

“Kikumaru Eiji, I’m mostly disappointed in you. You wanted to become a pilot? Well we’re letting you. This is your partner because he can drift with anyone, even someone with a mind as flighty as you. That alone should be enough, but you also know well enough what he’s been through. So why-”

“It’s BECAUSE of what he’s been through that I had to test him!!” It’s amazing that Kikumaru can still yell like that over the pain killers. But wait, test him?

When Oishi looks at him, he’s glaring at Inui like he did absolutely nothing wrong.

“Yes, I want to be a pilot, but how could you just pair me up with HIM without asking me first? How can I trust my life to a pilot whose former partner died for them? Am I supposed to do the same? Will he do the same for me? I DON’T KNOW HIM.” There’s a pause and Kikumaru turns to look at him, swollen face and all.

“How do I know that trusting you is the right decision?”

Kikumaru’s doubt isn’t wrong. He couldn’t hate him for not wanting to trust him either, not after… _that_. Sure he might still be considered a star and he did interviews with Tezuka before, but even that isn't the real him. Few people know the true him.

And maybe it's the pain killers or maybe it's the possibility that Oishi really wasn't ready to get back into this world but everything seems so sudden, so rushed. Something...Something about everything is off.

When he and Tezuka became partners, there was so much testing with other people first, despite his "special masterkey drifting." It took the then Marshall, Ryuzaki, a month to finally approve of the match. But this? To have Inui approve it without either of them...

None of it has felt completely right, but even regardless of that, he couldn't blame Kikumaru for reacting this harshly because he's right. Still... Could it be possible-

“You don’t.” Oishi finally replies slowly and turns to Inui to squint at him. “But he doesn’t have a choice, right, Inui?”

“No.”

“Something..." He pause for a second, gathering his words. It has to be this. There's no other reason for rush and secrecy. "Something is coming, isn’t it?”

Inui adjusts his glasses. Oishi tilts his head back, takes a long breath. After slowly counting to ten, he looks back.

“How long do we have?”

“Two weeks.”

Kikumaru curses beside him, but he just closes his eyes. At least his new partner can keep up with these kind of things.

“And when did you find this out?”

“Yesterday, before I came to pick you up.”

Of course. Realistically, he should have known better. He should have realized sooner. Even if he could drift with anyone, after Tezuka… Oishi knows he’s a risk. But he’s a risk they have to take if they want the world to survive. And they've already wasted at least a day of time.

“I’m giving you both one day to rest your injuries and sort out whatever other issues you might have. Now you know how serious this is. We need you drifting in a Jaeger by Friday.” Inui says this as he pockets his notebook and looks at both them seriously.

“And even though neither of you care about orders, this IS an order.”

As Inui leaves, Oishi collapses back onto the medical bed. He would be back in a Jaeger this week. The painkillers kick in and he gives into the darkness.

-

He dreams of the day it happened.

Usually, at the start of his dreams he only sees Tezuka: his smile at graduation, his warm hand on Oishi's shoulder when he told him that they would be wonderful pilots, his whisper of their naive promise to save the world together.

This time, he’s immediately stuck in their Jaeger, Mountain Vanguard, watching like a ghost from the outside. His body is limp in his suit as Tezuka is yelling at him to wake up. The lights are flashing red because only Tezuka is controlling the Jaeger now. He wants to yell at himself with Tezuka, but he’s stuck watching it happen, just like the tapes he’d stolen from Fuji’s computer when he first recovered.

It hurts, watching Tezuka trying to ward off the Kaiju they’re fighting and simultaneously wake him up. Oishi knows he won’t wake up in time, but Tezuka doesn’t. He still believes though.

He yells and cries until the end. Until the strain is too much on his brain, too much for Tezuka Kunimitsu, the star of their graduation year. The one that choose and fought for Oishi out of so many other possible candidates.

Sometimes, his brain is kind enough and he doesn’t see Tezuka die. He wakes up like tape footage cutting out, shaking and crying in his bed. But tonight isn’t as kind.

Tonight, his dream morphs more than ever, creating images of Tezuka fighting to the end, somehow killing the Kaiju and himself...but saving Oishi. It’s grotesque and horrible and as Oishi watches his body wake up in the broken Jaeger, it’s images that he knows are true memories.

The smell of fire and ocean and blood are stained in his senses, along with image of Tezuka’s dead body in front of him.

-

He wakes up, jolting up and knocking right into something hard. If his headache was gone before, it’s back immediately.

“Ouch. Watch it.”

When Oishi opens his eyes, he sees Kikumaru standing by the side of his bed, hand rubbing at his head.

“You were screaming and crying in your sleep.” He says. “It was scary...and sad. I just wanted to calm you down but instead you headbutted me.”

“Oh. Sorry, I guess.”

Kikumaru shrugs, picks at a string on his pants. “It’s not like you can help it. You’ve been through some shit.”

Some shit. Right. “You could call it that, I guess. But it’s because of that shit why you don’t want me as a partner right?”

The red head doesn’t respond, just continues to pick at his pants.

Oishi sighs and rubs his face against the rough blanket before fully sitting up. He folds his knees and motions for Kikumaru to sit on the bed.

They were going to do this now, apparently.

But then again, better to clear the air now than later. They didn’t have any more time for stupid fights.

It’s pretty dark in the medical ward, but the dim light still allows him to see Kikumaru bite his lip before finally moving further on the bed, mirroring Oishi’s pose.

“I was a fan of you, you know?” It’s not an exact answer to his question, but it’s something. “The three Kaiju that you and Tezuka took down with Mountain Vanguard?? You were so cool!!” Kikumaru grabs one of his hands in his excitement. “You were heroes, you know?”

“Heroes, huh.” It’s a term that Oishi’s heard plenty of times. But in his mind, it was always Tezuka that was the hero. He was just the sidekick.

“You were the reason why I even signed up for the academy. I wanted to meet you and thank you for everything you did, but I wasn’t old enough since they changed the age to twenty one. I had to wait one more year and I spent most of my time following everything you two did. I collected magazines, videos...anything I could get my hands on.” The more he talks, the tighter his grip on Oishi’s hand gets. It’s warm. It’s almost cute.

But then his grip goes slack.

“It took longer than I wanted, another full year after my 21st, but I got my letter of acceptance a couple months before the attack. I was here, you know? In the Shatterdome. I got to watch you and Tezuka enter Mountain Vanguard and charge into battle, right before my eyes. It was a dream come true.” Kikumaru’s voice fades away at the last word and carefully, he pulls his hand away, curling it around his own. Oishi’s fingers curl reflectively in the absence as he silently listens.

“We all watched as everything went wrong. The Shatterdome was...a mess. All of us were terrified, but I was more scared for you two. You were the ones out there fighting, we were the ones safe in the Shatterdome. Then…” Kikumaru sighs. “Everyone thought you both had died.”

Sometimes, Oishi wishes he had.

“The Kaiju was dead, but so were our heroes. It was so...quiet. But then! They found you alive! Everyone was still upset about Tezuka, but you...You were still alive. You could still be our hero, I thought. Even without Tezuka, you would be okay, you could still save us because you were Oishi Shuuichirou. I wanted to tell you this so badly and even snuck away from training to say it when I heard you were healthy again but-”

“I left.” Oishi cuts in.

“You left. Without a word.” Finally, Kikumaru looks up at him. “It pissed me off. Everyone thought it was for a little while but...you never came back. You left us all behind. You were our hero and you abandoned us with no warning or reason. I hated you for it.”

The words are harsh, but they aren’t wrong. Oishi nods at him and that makes Kikumaru click his tongue and turn away. The motion reveals the glint of tears on his cheeks.

“I hated you because Tezuka died for you and you did nothing for it. But then..." His voice breaks. "But then seeing you just now, crying in your sleep, I realized how selfish I’ve been. That with what you’ve already done for us, the _shit_ you’ve been through, you shouldn’t have to do more. You saved us four times. You risked your life and you lost your partner but...here you are. Back to do just that.”

“Here I am.” Oishi echoes, slightly amazed. Maybe he’s judged his partner too soon.

“Why? Why did you come back?” Kikumaru asks. “Why didn’t you say no? Haven’t you done enough?”

“Why?” Oishi hugs his knees tighter, thinking of an answer. It's not really something he's thought about. “I came back because...Because…”

Because Tezuka would have come back. Because it’s the right thing to do. Because now there’s nothing else left for him to do in the world.

“Because. I don’t know. I just did.” It’s not an completely honest answer, but it’s partially true. Oishi came back because he just did. And because as he now knows, beside Kikumaru, there is no one else but him.

“...You’re so stupid, Oishi.” Kikumaru starts crying harder and Oishi reaches out to pat his shoulder. In the last moment, his hand switches and he pats his head. His hair is soft. And...it just feels better that way.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

-

Kikumaru eventually falls asleep after his tears stop, head in Oishi’s lap, but Oishi stays awake. More than the fear of his dreams, everything that Kikumaru told him runs through his head. It’s a lot to take in, but it at least fully explains the harsh attitude his partner had toward him.

As the sun rises outside, he hopes that they can put their first day behind them and start building trust. A heart-to-heart in the middle of the night was a good start, right? Even if it was one-sided.

Fuji finds them a few hours later. He raises an eyebrow and Oishi holds up a hand immediately.

“Don’t even start, Fuji.”

Fuji smiles the exact smile that makes Oishi’s skin crawl and hands over their new training menu. It’s a jam-packed schedule, but Inui kept his promise and they have the day off today.

His legs are numb but Kikumaru’s honestly earned himself a few more hours of sleep.

-

Two weeks is not a lot of time at all.

Thankfully, by the time they get to the Kwoon Room the next day with Kawamura, Oishi can see clearly out of his black eye and Kikumaru’s jaw isn’t swollen anymore.

“Remember,” Kawamura tells them. “You’re not trying to beat the other. It’s a conversation. Read each other. Respond with your movements.” He looks at Oishi with a smile. “Eiji likes to talk a lot with his feet, so be sure to reply with your hands, yeah?”

“ _Kawamura Sensei_!” Kikumaru whines very maturely, shooting his long pole out at Kawamura, who easily dodges it with a laugh.

“Anyway, whenever you two are ready, begin.”

The air grows tense.

For the first minute, neither of them move. They simply stare each other down, waiting to see who will break and make the first attack. Kikumaru’s eyes are intense, so much more than they were when they fought in their room.

And with that small slip of focus, Kikumaru moves first, moving into a quick cartwheel and sending his pole right to Oishi’s adams apple.

“1-0.”

Flexible, quick, _and_ acrobatic. Kawamura left that one out it seems. But Oishi can deal with it.

He grips the pole with his free hand, twisting it away as he takes a step forward and whips his own pole right to Kikumaru’s neck.

“1-1.”

Kikumaru grins, baring his neck. “Not bad...but you’re still going to lose.”

A single sweep of a leg, Oishi’s on his ass, Kikumaru’s pole in his face.

“2-1.”

Oishi responds by using both legs to bring Kikumaru down and things escalate from there.

Off to the side, Kawamura grins as he pulls out his phone. “Oh yeah, they can definitely work.”

-

The times that they aren’t in the Kwoon Room or getting instructed on their new Jaeger, Danger Gold, the two of them split up.

Kikumaru heads over to drivesuit room to get more familiar with his new suit while Oishi heads over to the drift simulator and then to Fuji. It’s not on their training schedule, but Oishi worries.

He drifts just fine. His sync rate is higher than it used to be with Tezuka, even. In fact the first time he and Kikumaru try a drift simulation, the technician, Yanagi, has to check to make sure the machine isn’t glitching because they drift in 10 seconds.

“Back again?” Fuji questions, but there’s two cups of hot tea waiting on his desk.

“Tomorrow’s the day.” Oishi reaches for the tea, happy for the warmth it provides. “It’s a real drift.”

Fuji nods, folding his hands.

“Have you told Eiji yet?”

It’s a loaded question, but it's the exact question that Oishi needs to hear. And it’s a question that has so many different answers.

“Have I told him what? That I’m scared? No. That my memories are terrifying? Hell no.” That he has a bigger secret, something that only two other people know and one’s dead. Hell, Tezuka would have never even known if it weren’t for the drift.

Oishi wishes that he had never learned it that way, that he could have told him face to face.

“I understand why it’s hard to talk about, but you have to remember, Oishi. Eiji will find out tomorrow either way. How he learns about it is up to you, you know.” It’s moments like this that Oishi truly appreciates Fuji’s straight-forwardness, even if it hits his biggest fears. But he knows that Fuji would never lie or joke about something serious and that his friend only wants to help.

“If you want to gain his trust even more, if you’re actually starting to care about him as a partner as I think you are, then you’ll tell him personally. He was a fan of you, remember.”

Oishi swallows the truth with a mouth full of tea.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

-

He leaves Fuji’s office for dinner with a heavier mind than he came in with.

Running a hand over his hair, he debates heading back to their room to see if his partner’s eaten yet or not. The dining hall wouldn’t be the best place to spill his darkest secrets but it would at least grab Kikumaru’s attention for a while until he could figure out just exactly _how_ to tell him.

“OOOOOOISHIIII!!”

The loud yell interrupts his thoughts and suddenly he’s propelled forward by a weight on his back, strong legs gripping around his waist as his hands quickly grab them.

“Wow, you actually caught me and didn’t fall down. Nice, Oishi!!” Kikumaru bends around to smile right into his face. “What a surprisingly trustworthy partner. Ready for our drift tomorrow after talking to Fuji?”

It’s so hard not to drop him right then and there.

He’d ghost drifted once with Tezuka, taking up his habit of drinking black coffee for a few weeks without realizing it. But they haven’t even had a real drift yet and here is Kikumaru, almost reading his mind. He tries not to think of it as a bad thing, but more of a good thing. The more in sync they are, they better they can fight.

The easier they can win. The more likely they survive.

“You could say that.” He adjusts his arms around Kikumaru’s thighs to a more comfortable grip. “Have you eaten yet?”

“Nope~ Let’s go!”

-

Oishi gets so distracted by meaningless conversation and food that he forgets to tell everything to Kikumaru.

In a blink of an eye, they’re in their new drive suits, gold color matching the gold detailing on sleek, black colored Jaeger, Danger Gold. Still, the gold suit hurts his eyes.

They’re on standby but Kikumaru can’t actually stand still. He’s hopping back and forth on his feet, twisting his fingers, shaking his head. It’s the most active that Oishi’s seen him for a test so far...is it how he dealt with his nerves?

“Hey, Kikumaru-”

“Eiji.”

Oishi blinks. “Huh?”

“Call me Eiji. You’re really going to be in my head soon and know everything there’s to know about me, so you might as well call me Eiji.” His hands stop twisting. “There’s probably one other thing that you should know too. It’s kinda important.”

“Oh? Well,” This conversation isn’t exactly the one Oishi had expected. He feels like he should tell him to call him Shuuichirou, but he’s never liked his given name.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me. We’re partners after all.” He’s such a hypocrite.

But the blush on Kiku- _Eiji_ ’s face is the last thing he expects to see.

“I had a crush on you! Um. A long time ago.” He turns away in embarrassment when Oishi's mouth drops open, but keeps talking. “A big one! It went away when I started to hate you but now that we’re partners, I can’t stop thinking about it because you’re everywhere and I...I think I have a new crush on you b-but don’t worry!! I won’t let it get in the way of our training or anything. I promise not to make a move, so please don’t feel disgusted…I just had to tell you in person before you saw, I'm really sorry.”

The way the his voice weakens at the end pulls at Oishi’s heart. They’d have to talk more about it later, obviously, but Oishi understands that feeling better than Eiji probably knows.

 _If you’re actually starting to care about him as a partner as I think you are, then you’ll tell him personally._ Fujis words echo in his ears and they make him walk the few steps to his mortified partner.

“Look…Don’t worry about a thing like that. I would never feel that way...Eiji.” He reaches up and pats him on the head. “Have a little more trust in me, please. Besides, I know that feeling all too well.”

“You...do?”

It's now or never...or rather now or the drift. Oishi takes a deep breath and hopes his face resembles something reassuring.

“Yeah, after all I was in love with-”

“OISHI. KIKUMARU. THE DRIFT IS SILENCE, NOT GOSSIP.” Yanagi’s voice booms over the speakers and Oishi curses the timing. Of course.

Eiji's looking at him expectantly and when he goes to open his mouth-

"SILENCE, OISHI SHUUICHIROU."

It's too late and Oishi doesn't even have the time to hate himself.

They load into Danger Gold and initiate their first real neural handshake. It’s fast.

With Tezuka, he’d seen full glimpses of memories as they went by, helping him to know his partner that much more. But with Eiji, it’s more feelings than memories that stand out but he still knows everything now. It’s so warm, like Fuji’s tea, and but it’s only for what seems like a second because then they’re synced.

Danger Gold is active and moving wonderfully.

“Well done, you two.” It’s the proudest that Oishi’s ever heard Inui.

-

When the test is over and Danger Gold is deactivated, Eiji rips off his helmet immediately and stands right in front of Oishi.

“You loved him.”

This is exactly what Oishi didn’t want to happen, but Fuji did warn him. It’s his own fault. Carefully, he takes off his own helmet, to face his partner straight on.

“I did.”

“And you couldn’t tell me?”

He could remind Eiji that he tried to tell him before the test. But he could have also told Eiji any time before the test. So instead, he says-

“Can you blame me?”

Eiji stares him down, shaking slightly before he slams his helmet to the ground.

“I must look like such a fool to you.” He storms away and Oishi can do nothing but call after him weakly.

-

Being a Ranger and piloting a Jaeger means that you have no secrets with your partner. Eiji, at least, has the guts to confess his verbally. Oishi doesn’t, he never did.

That’s exactly why Tezuka found out Oishi was in love with him through the drift. And that’s why Oishi never did anything else about it.

But seeing the way that Eiji reacted to that information...makes him wish that he said _something_ to one of them.

To both of them.

-

Eiji skips the remainder of their briefings for the day. It’s a little dramatic, maybe, but thankfully Oishi’s able to pass it off to Inui and the others as the effect of their first drift.

At least it isn’t a lie.

He finds Eiji in their room, light off and curled up in his bed with the large teddy bear that usually sat in the corner. Locking the door, he quickly debates on where to sit before climbing up the ladder to sit by his partner’s feet, Eiji's back toward him.

If he’s honest with himself, Oishi doesn’t even know where to start.

“I don’t even know where to start.” Smooth. Sighing, he gently touches Eiji’s ankle.

“I will say though, I don’t think you’re a fool at all. If anything, we’re even more alike than we both thought.”

It’s a bad joke and Oishi deserves the kick he gets. But Eiji turns and looks at at him over the head of the teddy bear. The image makes him look younger than his twenty three years and it’s very...cute.

“Start from the beginning.” Eiji’s voice is so soft and after drifting, Oishi can’t say no. Eiji knows everything already from being inside his head. He at least deserves to hear it from Oishi's mouth too.

So he tells Eiji all about how he met Tezuka in the Jaeger Academy, how they trained together with Kawamura and met Fuji and Inui. It’s hard to believe that it was almost five years ago that he, Tezuka, and Kawamura were twenty, the age to enter back then, when they all first came to the Shatterdome. And how much they’ve all changed since then.

When he gets to part where Tezuka picked him as his partner, Eiji is sitting pressed next to him, their legs stretched out over the side. Somehow, the teddy bear's been passed into Oishi’s arms and he’s thankful for something to hold, along with the warmth on his side.

“At first, you know...it wasn’t love. He was just...Tezuka was...Tezuka.” Back then, when Fuji asked him about it, there wasn’t a way to describe it. It’s almost funny to realize that he still can’t.

“Drifting didn’t help. It only made the feeling worse and more confusing. He was my best friend, you know? My partner. The day I realized just exactly what I was feeling, there was a Kaiju attack. I was so afraid…” Oishi hugs the bear close. “It wasn’t the attack where he died, so... When we came out of Mountain Vanguard, he smiled at me like he was waiting. I’ll never forget that.”

“Then why didn’t you tell him?” Eiji asks, breaking his silence.

“I...can’t say. I guess I was afraid? But it’s not like he didn’t already know.” It’s something that he spent the six months after Tezuka’s death asking himself and he still has no real answer.

“But you really loved him, huh?”

“Yeah.” It had been hard not to. “I really did.”

They fall into a silence and Oishi can’t help but lean into Eiji for support. It hasn’t even been a week, but after drifting, Eiji now knows him better than anyone else. He knows things that even Fuji doesn’t know. He’s seen the attack and Tezuka’s dead body.

There’s no going back from that.

“It’s okay to cry, you know.” Eiji whispers into the dark. “Outside of your dreams, I mean. It’s okay to cry.”

And just like that, just at four simple, kind words, Oishi cries. He really, truly cries for the first time after Tezuka’s death and mourns all the chances he never took.

-

They wake up the next morning in each other’s arms and somehow, it’s not awkward at all. It’s just very warm.

“Daigoro fell off the bed.” Eiji yawns into the top of Oishi’s head. “We need a bigger bed.”

It’s such a silly request, a bigger bed to accommodate a teddy bear, that it sends Oishi into a fit of giggles.

“Ooooishiii, it’s too early for laughter. Sleep.”

But Oishi only laughs even more. It’s like he has to make up for almost six month’s worth of laughter and when he’s done, his abs _hurt_.

Of course, that’s exactly when Eiji attacks him, tickling his sides to get revenge for waking up too early.

When they end up being late to breakfast, sore and out of breath, Oishi’s isn’t too mad.

He’s missed laughter in his life.

-

They spend the next days training and becoming even closer than ever.

Their drifts are incredibly fast and Yanagi even comments that they might be ghost drifitng with the way that Oishi perfectly catches Eiji when he jumps on him. Which is quite often, now that Eiji feels more comfortable around him. But really, Oishi doesn’t want either of them to get hurt, so he’s learned to always be ready.

Danger Gold is ready to make its debut as a Jaeger, all decked out with the newest weapons from Momoshiro, and the whole Shatterdome is buzzing with an excited feeling. Even Kawamura teases Oishi by saying he’s actually been smiling as he spars with Eiji, but it’s not something he can deny.

At first, when Inui told him that he needed to pilot a Jaeger again, he really thought he would be too scared to do it. But now, with Eiji by his side, even after just this short time, he knows that there’s nothing to fear.

With Eiji, he might just be able to fulfill the promise that he made Tezuka and save the world.

-

The day of the predicted attack, a dull winter tuesday, a category four Kaiju appears from the rift.

It’s closer to Japan than the USA, as predicted, so their Shatterdome launches into attack mode immediately.

Oishi and Eiji leave their breakfast behind the moment the sirens start and sprint toward the drivesuit room. They get there in near-record time, but Eiji yanks Oishi back by the hand at the last moment.

“Eiji?! What’s wrong?” They’re both out of breath and know that there’s _no_ time.

“I just.” He grips their hands tight, struggling for words. “I don’t want to have any regrets.”

As if they were in the Kwoon Room, Eiji moves in less than a blink of an eye and kisses Oishi.

Sirens are going off around them, speakers repeating their names, a _Kaiju_ is on the way, but obviously, Eiji doesn’t care.

And maybe...maybe Oishi doesn’t either. His partner is warm and alive and-

It’s over as quick as it happened and Eiji’s smiling brighter than ever.

“Alright! Let’s go kill that Kaiju!”

Oishi gapes, trying to recover. Inui's voice shrieking for them through the speakers finally snaps him out of it.

“Y-yeah. Right. Let’s go!”

-

Danger Gold makes a wonderful debut as a Jaeger, not only for it’s new weapons and mechanics, but the amazing pilots inside it. The category four Kaiju goes down in a record half hour, something not even the Americans could do. Video of Danger Gold's smooth movements and swift attack spread across the globe and it seems that it's not just Japan that is happy to have the new Jaeger around.

Marshal Inui claims that it was all according to his data.

The public, on the other hand, are _estastic_ to hear that Oishi Shuuichirou is one of the pilots and is protecting them once again. Also, they're glad to see that his new partner, Kikumaru Eiji, is just as good a match as the late Tezuka Kunimitsu. With the two of them piloting Danger Gold, Japan can rest safely.

“And with the name of Danger Gold, the most popular nickname popping up for the two pilots is ‘The Golden Pair.’ Huh, not bad.” Oishi holds the newspaper out so Eiji can see.

They’re on a break in the Kwoon Room, waiting for Kawamura to come back from teaching the new trainees so they can spar. This means, of course, Eiji has taken up his favorite relaxation spot on Oishi’s lap as Oishi reads through all the amazing press they’ve gotten.

There’s a new corkboard in their room and it’s already covered in various newspaper and magazine clippings...as well as all of Oishi’s old, and new, pictures. Oishi isn't afraid to look and smile back at Tezuka's face anymore, not when the picture of him holding Eiji the moment they left Danger Gold after they defeated their first kaiju together is tacked right next to it. Tezuka is gone...but Oishi's still living. He's still fighting. He'll fight for Tezuka, for their promise, until the end.

“Golden Pair…” Eiji pulls him out of his thoughts. His partner turns his head to look up at Oishi, nose scrunching a bit as he smiles in approval. “It does have a nice ring to it. Though..."

"Though?"

"You’d think being the ‘Golden Pair’ that Marshal Inui would give us bigger beds by now. Daigoro is tired of falling over!”

Both of them laugh at the image and when the laughter fades, they’re left smiling at each other.

It’s only been a month since they’ve known each other, but it’s a month where Oishi’s learned more about himself and about what he wants than he has in his whole life. If anything, if there's one main thing he wants...it's that he doesn’t want anymore regrets.

Eiji meets him halfway and it’s just as warm as the first time.

“I don't want to promise you anything.” Oishi says when they part.

“I just don’t want any regrets.” Eiji answers perfectly.

“No regrets then.”

“...I love you, Oishi Shuuichirou.”

“Yeah, I know.”

**Author's Note:**

> RIP in peace, Buchou. I'm sorry you won the 'who gets killed off for plot' lottery OTL


End file.
